"All the Perfumes of Arabia" - Muslim Self-help, Available on Amazon

[Qa'im]

"A beautiful, balanced, and inspiring book." - Dr.... John Andrew Morrow

My brand-new book, "All the Perfumes of Arabia", is available now on Amazon.

“All the Perfumes of Arabia” is a Muslim self-help book that is founded upon the prophetic example. The book explores themes of redemptive suffering, mental and physical health, personal responsibility, family life, and more. There are also chapters dedicated to renewing and re-purposing our faith in Islam. Each chapter uses perfume notes to reintroduce readers to aromatherapy, an age-old Islamic medicinal custom.

Not only can every heart heal, but the prophetic model allows you to reclaim your life and heal the world. “All the Perfumes of Arabia” re-orients the reader toward Islamic gnosis and praxis, making ancient wisdom applicable and practical in daily life. Discover the Arabian treasure and rediscover your soul.

Very humbled that Allah gave me an opportunity to see this day. I have spent over a year putting into words everything that I have learned in relation to Islam and self-help.

As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I discovered that our tradition is a source of healing. I went head-first into these issues blind, with little awareness and guidance. But Allah was always there and He always carried me through. I learned so much in the process.

We always needed a book for young Muslims and converts to navigate these problems practically and renew their faith. Inshallah, I am hoping this can help at least one person. If you have a moment, please share and spread the word -- may you share in the reward.

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/1675566399/ref=sr_1_2…

Amazon.ca https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1675566399

Amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1675566399

Kindle (only $9.99): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082Z723C8

[Diaz]

I’m sorry, I thought it’s a real perfume. Anyway, Congratulations and  inshallah it will sell well. 

[Qa'im]

From the introduction:

The title, “All the Perfumes of Arabia”, comes from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Lady Macbeth says that “all the perfumes of Arabia” would not cover up the stench of her bloody crime. Indeed, Arabia was well-known for trading precious scents used for both medicinal and practical purposes. The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ in particular loved fragrances.

Aromatherapy is the use of fragrant essential oils for therapeutic purposes. Scents are known to uplift moods and remove stress. The Prophet ﷺ would anoint his head, beard, and face with essential oils, and he was known for his musky aroma. He would breathe in these scents as he would apply them. Hence, this book uses twelve popular scents and connects their symbolism to various self-help themes. My hope is that this unique approach inspires the reader to look at his or her problems in a different light.

[habib e najjaar]

Ordered, waiting for it to arrive inshaAllah

[SoRoUsH]

سلام brother,

انشاالله you're doing well.

Two quick questions:

1) Have you relied, mostly, on reliable narrations in this book, like your previous book? 

2) When will this book be released in Kindle?

Thank you for writing this book brother!

[Qa'im]

12 hours ago, SoRoUsH said:

سلام brother,

انشاالله you're doing well.

Two quick questions:

1) Have you relied, mostly, on reliable narrations in this book, like your previous book? 

2) When will this book be released in Kindle?

Thank you for writing this book brother!

Wa alaykum assalam akhi ,

It’s actually a book of insights rather than a book of narrations. So it’s mainly my own writing and relies more on the Qur'an.

Inshallah it will be released on kindle next week.

[Hameedeh]

The ShiaChat Twitter account tweeted the link to this thread. 

[SoRoUsH]

On 12/18/2019 at 7:08 AM, Qa'im said:

Wa alaykum assalam akhi ,

It’s actually a book of insights rather than a book of narrations. So it’s mainly my own writing and relies more on the Qur'an.

Inshallah it will be released on kindle next week.

Excellent! Thank you brother! 

I'll definitely purchase it, once it's available on Kindle. 

[Qa'im]

On 12/19/2019 at 6:04 PM, SoRoUsH said:

Excellent! Thank you brother! 

I'll definitely purchase it, once it's available on Kindle. 

I am excited to announce that my new book "All the Perfumes of Arabia" is now available on Kindle for only $9.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082Z723C8

[ShiaChat Mod]

The ShiaChat Twitter account announced the book is available now on Kindle:

[SoRoUsH]

On 12/21/2019 at 8:17 PM, Qa'im said:

I am excited to announce that my new book "All the Perfumes of Arabia" is now available on Kindle for only $9.99

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082Z723C8

Thank you brother! I purchased my kindle copy.

[SoRoUsH]

Brother @Qa'im

Great book! I'm 56% through it, and I'm enjoying it. 

I reached the following statement, and I'd like to ask you about it. 

You state, 

"The root ethic in Islam is maintaining a healthy heart. I'm not referring to the pulsating organ in your left chest, but rather I'm referring to the qalb described in so many verses in the Qur'an."

 

I've read this before, too, in Self Building by Ibrahim Amini, which is a great book as well. However, other than being influenced by the modern secular medical view, I can't understand why you and other Islamic scholars are quick to make it clear that the قلب you're talking about is not the organ in our bodies. 

Consider the verse 22:46:

 أَفَلَم يَسيروا فِي الأَرضِ فَتَكونَ لَهُم قُلوبٌ يَعقِلونَ بِها أَو آذانٌ يَسمَعونَ بِها ۖ فَإِنَّها لا تَعمَى الأَبصارُ وَلٰكِن تَعمَى القُلوبُ الَّتي فِي الصُّدورِ

 

God is very clear that it's the heart in our chests that intellectualizes and is seeing or blind. In Amini's book, there's a chapter on the heart, and he lists numerous narrations and verses about the heart, except this one.

 

So, I'd like to know, why do you think that the heart in the Qur'an, isn't the heart in our chests? (When in 22:46, God is very clear that it is.) 

Keep in mind, prior to Descartes and modern mechanistic philosophy, the organ heart was always sacred. Aristotle was very cardiocentric. 

So, why do we try to align Islamic teachings with modern secular western medicine?

[Qa'im]

I am sure that the physical heart has some cognitive qualities, and that there is a relationship between the physical heart and the spiritual qalb, just as there is a relationship between the brain and the `aql, but they are not exactly the same. In my studies I have learned that the sadr, qalb, and fu'ad are three separate levels of cognition. The sadr comprehends images and forms (suwar, thuhur), the qalb comprehends particular realities and meanings (haqa'iq, ma`ani), and the fu'ad comprehends ma`rifa of God.

Reflect on the following traditions:

وروى عن أنس بن مالك قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ان الشيطان واضع خطمه على قلب ابن آدم فإذا ذكر الله خنس، وإذا نسي التقم فذلك الوسواس الخناس

And it has been narrated form Anas b. Malik that he said:

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: Surely, Satan has placed his nose upon the heart of the son of Adam, so if he remembers Allah he (Satan) slinks away, and if he forgets he remains, and that is the slinking whisperer.

وروى العياشي باسناده عن أبان بن تغلب عن جعفر بن محمد قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: ما من مؤمن الا ولقلبه في صدره أذنان، اذن يتنفس فيها الوسواس الخناس فيؤيد الله المؤمن بالملك، وهو قوله: سبحانه ” وأيدهم بروح منه “

And `Ayashi reported by his isnad from Aban b. Taghlib from Ja`far b. Muhammad.

He said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: There is not a believer except that his heart in his chest has two ears: (1) an ear that the slinking whisperer breathes into, (2) and so Allah supports the believer with an angel, and that is His سبحانه saying, “And he supported them with a spirit from him” (58:22).

 في تفسير علي بن إبراهيم وقال الصادق عليه السلام: ما من قلب الا وله أذنان على أحدهما ملك مرشد، وعلى الأخرى شيطان مفتر، هذا يأمره وهذا يزجره، و كذلك من الناس شيطان يحمل الناس على المعاصي كما يحمل الشيطان من الجن

In Tafsir `Ali b. Ibrahim: And as-Sadiq عليه السلام said: There is not a heart except that it has two ears: (1) on one, a guiding angel, (2) and on the other, a lying devil. One orders him, and the other snubs him. And it is like that with the people: a devil that drives the people toward sin, just like the devil from the jinn.

 وفيه عن العالم عليه السلام حديث طويل ذكر فيه عليه السلام: ما طلب إبليس من الله اجابته له وفيه قال: قال: يا رب زدني قال جعلت لك ولذريتك صدورهم أوطانا قال: حسبي وقد ذكرنا أكثر الحديث في أول الأعراف 

And from the Sage (al-`Askari) عليه السلام there is a long hadith, in which he عليه السلام says: From what Iblees asked Allah for that was granted [includes]: He said: O Lord, increase for me. He said: I have made their hearts a home for you and your descendants (followers). He said: That is enough for me. And we have mentioned the hadith at the beginning of al-A`raf.

 في أصول الكافي محمد بن يحيى عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن علي بن  الحكم عن سيف بن عميرة عن أبان بن تغلب عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: ما من مؤمن الا ولقلبه أذنان في جوفه، اذن ينفث فيها الوسواس الخناس، واذن ينفث فيها الملك فيؤيد الله المؤمن بالملك فذلك قوله: ” وأيدهم بروح منه “

In Usul al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muammad b. `Isa from `Ali b. al-Hakam from Sayf b. `Umayra from Aban b. Taghlib from Abu `Abdillah عليه السلام.

He said: There is not a believer except that his heart has two ears within it: (1) an ear that the slinking whisperer breathes into, (2) and an ear that an angel breathes into. So Allah supports the believer through the angel, and that is His saying, “And he supported them with a spirit from him” (58:22)

[SoRoUsH]

Thank you brother. 

I had read the narrations regaring the ears on the heart, and after a bit research learned that in the medieval era, the auricles of the heart were considered "ears" of the heart. And this makes me wonder, if there's something linked between auricles on the heart and the two whisperers. 

Considering that in 22:46, God directly points to our physical heart, in my opinion, we ought to be careful NOT to make a distinction between a spiritual heart and a physical heart. If we direct our attention to the physical heart, and read these narrations with the physical heart in mind, perhaps we'll better understand the interaction between the divine and the human through our hearts. 

I have been researching the heart for years now, and I do truly believe, that there's a direct link between our spiritual and emotional health and the health of our physical heart. So, I do believe that we ought to always keep our physical heart in mind, whenever we read about the qalb in the Qur'an or in the narrations. 

[SoRoUsH]

Finished reading your book brother. Great book, full of wisdom! 

Patiently waiting for your third book! 

[habib e najjaar]

Mine hasn't arrived yet. Sigh. Amazon tracker says it got here yesterday.

#thoushaltbepatient

[Abu Nur]

Salaam Aleikum,

Going to order kindle version, Jazakallah Khairan.

[habib e najjaar]

Now expected January 8 - January 24

We’re very sorry your delivery is late. Most late packages arrive in a day. If you have not received your package by January 24, you can come back here the next day for a refund or replacement.

[Qa'im]

On 1/15/2020 at 3:31 AM, habib e najjaar said:

Now expected January 8 - January 24

We’re very sorry your delivery is late. Most late packages arrive in a day. If you have not received your package by January 24, you can come back here the next day for a refund or replacement.

I recommend you give Amazon a call and ask for compensation. I once called about a late delivery and they issued a full refund and a $10 voucher.

[habib e najjaar]

16 minutes ago, Qa'im said:

I recommend you give Amazon a call and ask for compensation. I once called about a late delivery and they issued a full refund and a $10 voucher.

I am worried that this will be the second book in a row I have not received. How else can I get it if not on amazon? Are you able to ship directly? 

[Qa'im]

1 hour ago, habib e najjaar said:

I am worried that this will be the second book in a row I have not received. How else can I get it if not on amazon? Are you able to ship directly? 

PM me and we can arrange something inshallah 

[Qa'im]

A few reviews are in:

Dr.. Shaykh Vinay Khetia:

"All the Perfumes of Arabia is a wonderful short narrative which explores some of the fundamental practices and beliefs of Islam. It does so using a creative metaphorical analysis. Bilal Muhammad has done a superb job in summarizing and providing a cogent explanation for some of the most essential beliefs and spiritual maxims required for being a spiritually healthy Muslim in today's age. He does without venturing down the road of liberal reformation but rather taps into the ancient sources of Islamic inspiration, namely the Qur'an and the Sunna in order to provide the reader with inspiration that may guide their overall educational and spiritual pursuits even in the midst of suffering and loss. This book is a wonderful introduction to some important aspects pertaining to our relationship with God, the Messenger, and ourselves."

Dr.. John Andrew Morrow:

“A beautiful, balanced, and inspiring book.”

Rebecca Masterton:

"This is a collection of gentle, reflective essays that offer both wisdom and comfort for those struggling spiritually in today’s fractured world. Bilal Muhammad gives his own personal insights into the healing dimensions of the Islamic tradition, framed within the knowledge of the special properties of scents and herbs."

Berak Hussein:

"A fragrant journey into the mind, heart, body and soul, rich with Islamic history, wisdom, knowledge and stories. All written with descriptive flare to highten the senses with each perfume’s idiosyncrasies entwined with The Divine Beloved, His Beloved Prophet Mohammed (s) and His Beloved’s Beloveds the  Ahlul Bayt (a). 

Each chapter introduces a perfume and its characteristics delighting the reader with its uses and it’s healing capacities all the while educating us with its importance and value as well as its connection to Islam in fascinating aspects.  

As a mental health practitioner, the chapter on Lavender was especially intriguing.  It gives the reader the opportunity to delve into Islamic mental health history,  explore Quranic verses and hadeeths, connect with the author’s personal struggle with depression and reap the benefits of a lived experience and heal through the easing light floral anxiety reducing scent of  lavender, reminding us that indeed “through the rememberance of God, do hearts find serenity” 13:28.

The words of “There is a reason for everything, including your maladies. Repurpose your depression, so that it is not purely a negative force, but a force of change” are empowering words to the ones who are struggling with mental health illnesses that they can indeed reframe their struggles to succeed in overcoming them or learning how to live with them while still being productive Muslim members of society.

A highly recommended beautiful read or a beautiful gift to a fellow lover of words and perfumes!"

[Abu Nur]

Taught me and my family the treasures of paradise, May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) give mercy, forgiveness and love to you brother for this amazing book.

[Eddie Mecca]

Mr.. Bilal Muhammad's Facebook page is equally insightful. Follow him there!

[313_Waiter]

Just finished reading it.

MashaAllah a great book, very succinct and easy to understand. 

Draws from the Prophetic life on how to improve one's life and deal with suffering, mental illnesses and the issues with Modernity. 

[habib e najjaar]

Reading this book slowly, often just a few paragraphs or lines in a day. It is simply worded and easy to read, but triggers contemplation, and to truly enjoy the gems in this book, give yourself time to ponder of the simple lessons carrying profound wisdom.

It has made a good alternative for the daily bedtime story time and rituals for 2 of my children aged 6 and 4. I often try to make up a moral story since they are pretty fond of stories, but recently have been using this book simply to get inspiration for small bite sized lessons in morality and awakening their God conscious inshaAllah.

Looking forward to completing it. I think I will give myself a "me time" day and finish it this weekend. (Not likely to happen given my to do list for the weekend).

[mustafaali1]

Amazing Book for those peoples, who's mentally distorted from the daily life tension and want to relief. Thanks for sharing such a piece of informative book. I have adding a think that's everyone is not buy it from amazon, please share free version of the book with community.

[Silas]

It seems such a book is very helpful in times such as these